Ferngully 2
by JakobiFlyingFox
Summary: Just a little narration on how I think Ferngully 2 should have begun/ended up, with some characters from the first movie as well as from the book. WARNING: Batty has more face time...
1. Chapter 1

A new day began in the rainforest of Ferngully. A fine veil of mist hung low over the forest floor. No animals stirred at this early hour, all except one.

Batty Koda opened one eye and then the other. He was hanging upside down right outside Old Hi Rise. The fruit bat closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but the antenna fused to his head kept sparking and sending him radio signals that he tried to ignore. It was no use. Muttering, he spread his wings and flapped quietly down to the front door of his friend, Crysta the fairy's house.

A few weeks ago, Crysta and the whole of Ferngully had defeated the evil spirit Hexxus and trapped him in a tree. Since the forest was almost devastated, all the elves had used every ounce of their magic to help the forest grow back. They made very good progress and the forest had quickly regrown to its original splendor. Though there were still a few patches of bare earth here and there along the forest floor, Ferngully had once again come alive.

Batty Koda muttered again. Up above him, Blackbeak, the black palm cockatoo, snored while perched on a branch. Nearby, Greeney the snake lay draped across the branch he was sleeping on like a harmless vine.

"Fractured figs, it's too quiet," the fruit bat sighed. Almost automatically, he reached up to touch his fox-like face. He frowned upon feeling the scars. It had been almost a month since he escaped from the biology lab, but unfortunately the memories escaped with him. He still had nightmares a few times a night about the pesticides, vivisections and electrocutions, and was still adjusting to the fact that he didn't live in a cage anymore.

No one here realizes how good they have it, he mused. They don't understand how the world really works. He winced the next moment as the antenna sparked and he found himself whispering, "Traffic along the highway is backed up a quarter mile and no one sees the end of it." He shook his head. Now, where did that come from?

A noise below almost caused him to topple off the wood shelf in surprise. He peeked down. Three small animals, a pademelon, a wombat and a bandicoot, looked right back at him. Batty recognized the baby marsupials. Paddy, Wal and Bandy; what were they doing up at this hour?

"Liquid detergents!" He whispered hoarsely. "You almost made me short-circuit!"

Paddy, with his black eyes shining, folded his paws. "We were just coming by to see if Crysta would want to start early this morning. Do you know if she's awake?"

Wal and Bandy nodded enthusiastically. Before, all the baby animals went to Magi Lune, who had been the most powerful fairy in the forest, to help and teach them about their home and why they should protect it. Before the battle with Hexxus, Magi Lune had passed her powers on to Crysta, who continued the teaching. It was a big job, but she loved it and the animals loved her.

Batty shook his head. "She's still asleep. Why can't you wait until the sun rises?"

Paddy frowned. "But there's plenty we can do in the early hours. The ground in Sleepy Hollow is completely covered in mist and the whole forest is silent; even the Great Falls seems like it's quieter. Can't you see if she's awake?"

Wal nodded pleadingly. "Yes, please, Batty?"

Batty sighed for the second time that morning. "I'll check. Stay there." Spreading his wings, he flapped clumsily up to Crysta's bedroom window. It was a hole that was covered with the fine skeletons of dried leaves and a few sturdy twigs pegged into place to hold the filmy screen. Batty peered through the vague curtain into the small room. The room was empty and so was Crysta's sleeping hammock. A smile tugged at the bat's scarred face.

Returning to the wooden shelf, he whispered down to the three animals that were anxiously awaiting a reply. "She's up, but I didn't see her in her room."

Just then, the front door creaked open. Batty Koda whirled around and tumbled off the shelf down to the forest floor, nearly landing on Bandy. The little marsupial squeaked and jumped back.

Batty groaned as he picked himself up. Crysta's pixie-ish face peered down at him. Her aqua eyes sparkled and her short black hair fell over her forehead. She flashed the fruit bat an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about that, Batty," She whispered as she glided down to meet her pupils. "I didn't see you there."

Turning her attention to the three babies, she grinned. "Who's ready for a learning experience?" Three enthusiastic whispers met her. Paddy broke in.

"Crysta, Sleepy Hollow is covered in mist, and the Great Falls has almost stopped roaring." The young pademelon reported excitedly. Crysta nodded.

"I'll have to see this for myself. Come on." Fluttering her iridescent wings and clutching her cobweb pouch, Crysta flew off after the three animals. Batty was left alone.

The bat frowned. "Oh, fractured figs," he mumbled, flapping up into the air. "Wait for me!" He called out quietly, and flew off after them.

Paddy was right about the Great Falls; its roar had almost ceased. The four had stopped there first. Crysta and the animals were chatting with the sleepy frogs when Batty crash landed. The brain-fried bat flip-flopped crazily in the air and collided with a young sapling, and then he splashed into the cold water of the Falls.

Crysta rushed to his rescue. Diving into the white-capped water, she bit her lips against the sudden chill as she caught up with Batty. Grabbing hold of his wing, she tried to pull him to shore but he was too heavy and the current was too strong. Suddenly, Crysta found her burden lightened and saw that two platypuses had quickly swum up and caught the unconscious fruit bat before he slipped off down the Falls. Paddling their beaver-like tails, the platypuses propelled Batty to the rocky edge and heaved him up onto a stone.

Crysta climbed out herself and thanked the platypuses for their help. The animals smiled as they slipped back beneath the surface and swam away. The fairy turned her attention to Batty who was lying flat out on the stone, dripping wet and completely still.

Paddy, Wal and Bandy crept closer, too anxious to speak. Crysta knelt beside her friend and began pushing on his chest, trying to force the water out. Within seconds, Batty stirred, spluttered, and finally spat out a mouthful of water. The bat sat for a few moments, breathing heavily and staring wide-eyed at the white water before him.

He shivered. "Warped beetle corpses, Crysta-bellis." He bleeped. "That was a near master disaster!"

Crysta smiled at her friend's crazy chatter, relieved. "Indeed it was. I'm glad that you're okay."

The fruit bat grinned. "Are you kidding? I'm groovacious!" He stood up, a bit shakily. His antenna, suddenly realizing it was no longer in a wet environment, sent him a series of loud clicks and sparks.

"If the graduate students will all gather round, we'll begin. Get me another one; get me another animal…" he bleeped.

Paddy and his friends were staring at the jabbering fruit bat, until Crysta called their attention back to the Falls. Soon, all four were engrossed in tasks of looking for certain algae, smooth skipping-stones and occasionally splashing into calmer parts of the Falls.

Batty's head cleared and when he saw he was alone, he shifted. He felt uncomfortable and a little embarrassed after his spill into the water. "Hey, fairy-bug," he said quietly. "I'll catch you later; I gotta hoon."

Crysta smiled. "Okay. Catch you later," she waved as her friend flapped off.

Batty flew west, away from the horizon. The sun was just starting to shed a few rosy tips of light onto the world below. The fruit bat shivered as he shook a few more droplets of water from his fur and wings.

Suddenly, he became aware of a noise below him. Looking down, he spied a large yellow machine with a strange black insignia of a bull on the side. A short plump human waited nearby, pacing and muttering impatiently. Surprised and a little frightened, Batty decided to check it out. He perched in a nearby tree and hung upside down, waiting. As he was small, he wouldn't be spotted that easily

Presently, two humans, one tall and nasty-looking, the other rather burly and calm, entered from the left. Two dogs padded along beside them. Between the men, they carried a big wooden cage and two sacks. Batty eyes shot open. Inside the cage were two hatchling cassowaries.

The bewildered bat watched as the men loaded the cage onto the trailer of their truck, for that was what the machine was, and set the sacks on the ground.

The short human strode over. "What did we get?" He wheedled.

Batty watched as the nasty-looking human opened the first sack and pulled out a small frilled lizard. The reptile thrashed and spread its frill in an effort to scare off these strange creatures. "Four more," he growled in a thick accent. The other man opened his sack out of which shot a flying squirrel. Batty realized he knew this squirrel. It was Slider, who always hung out around Old Hi Rise.

The burly man caught Slider by his middle and grasped him in his strong hands. The plump man inspected both animals, and then went over to the truck where he peered at the pair of wide-eyed cassowary hatchlings. He nodded and flashed the other two a satisfied smile. "Excellent. We'll meet our deadline before the week is out if we keep up at this pace."

The two dogs growled. The nasty man gave them an order and obediently, they both sat. Batty shivered. He had seen only one dog in his life, back at the lab. It was a beagle. He didn't have enough time to find out much about it, though, because the dog was put through so many harmful experiments that within a few months it had to be euthanized. These dogs didn't look like beagles. Rather, they had pointed ears and lean, lithe black bodies with brown markings on their long faces. When one of them opened their mouth in a yawn, Batty almost fainted. Inside was a neat row of white, pointed teeth.

Both Dobermans, for that was what they were, waited patiently, watching their three masters as they got out a cooler from the truck and had lunch. Every now and again, one of them would toss the dogs a scrap of meat or something else from their meal.

Batty listened closely to their conversation. It became apparent that the short, plump human was the other two's boss. He was called Goldstein. The mean human was called Mac and the burly one was called Ivan. Mac had long brown hair that was tied back in an elastic band and had a fedora on his head; he looked like a game hunter. Ivan had red hair and a curled moustache and was dressed like a sailor. Goldstein appeared to be the only one dressed in neat clothing. He had an overcoat on and had sparse black hair and a slight black moustache on his pudgy face.

The longer Batty hung there, the more he heard. Goldstein kept saying, "We have a day, and then we get to the town. From there, we drive to the docks and we'll get our dough."

Mac growled. "So long as we keep quiet. Animals don't like to be disturbed. We had a spot of trouble with those four over there," he gestured to the two sacks and cage on the trailer bed.

Suddenly, Batty realized what was happening. These men were here to capture animals. What was that word he had learned from the scientists at the lab… planters? Potters? Poachers? Yes, that was it. Poachers! He had to warn the fairies right away.


	2. Chapter 2

Batty took off for Old Hi Rise as fast as his wings could take him. He was almost blinded by his fear and kept bouncing off trees and getting tangled up in vines that were in his path. As a result, he had quite a number of bruises and scrapes by the time he reached the enormous fig tree.

Crysta wasn't back yet, as he expected, but maybe he could find her friend, Pips. The red-haired elf usually came by to visit Crysta. As luck would have it, there was Pips, perched on one of the top branches, playing his pipes. He looked up and smiled as he saw Batty flapping hurriedly over.

"Hey, Batty." He greeted cheerfully. His wings fluttered slightly. Batty flew up, panting. Pips eyed him. "What happened? You're covered in bruises."

Batty's words tumbled out in a rush. "We have to do something! Humans are in the forest! We need to get everyone to a safe place now!"

Pips frowned, puzzled. "What are you talking about?" He stood up, staring at the frantic, shivering bat. Batty Koda spread his wings and shook them wildly. "We-have-to-get-every-one-out-of-here!" He chanted.

Pips placed his hand on Batty's shoulder, more for restraint than comfort. "Batty, there are no humans in Ferngully. We're perfectly safe."

Batty scoffed and started chattering, "Oho? Ferngully safe? Err! Wrong answer. You can lounge around all you want in your fungal furniture, but not me! I may be batty, but I ain't nutty…" Pips stopped him before he could short-circuit.

"Okay! Calm down!" He said loudly. Up above, Blackbeak remarked. "The bat, calm down?" The cockatoo snickered as he flapped down to a branch more at level with them. "What's the defect with you this time?"

Batty glowered up at him. "I've just seen some humans not far from here. They're poachers, and-"

"What are 'poachers'?" Pips interrupted.

Batty sighed, annoyed. "They're humans that take animals from their homes and sell them to other humans far away!" Turning back to Blackbeak, he explained hurriedly. "They've already caught two baby cassowaries, a frilled lizard and Slider!"

Pips gasped softly. "Where did you say they were?"

Batty pointed back the way he came. Pips bit his lip and hesitated. Batty, annoyed at this pause, started shrieking again, "Well? We have to get out of here before they come!" He jumped up and down on the branch until he tripped and fell. Pips and Blackbeak watched in dismay as the fruit bat tumbled down to the front stoop of Crysta's home. He landed with a thump and his antenna shocked him again.

"Mayday! Mayday!" He bleeped. "This is chopper one, we're goin' down…" He continued with his nonsensical chatter. Some fairies that were nearby flew closer, peering curiously at the shivering bat and wondering what in the world could be the matter with him.

Batty became aware of his audience. Staggering to his feet, he blurted, "Everyone, you have to leave! Humans are in the forest and they're trapping animals!"

A murmur arose in the floating multitude. Batty tried again. "Do you remember Hexxus? That machine he was controlling was powered by humans!" Again, a murmur floated around.

Poor Batty was exasperated. These fairy-bugs didn't know how serious this was. Before he could say another word, however, the front door opened, revealing Grandfather Ash and Crysta's father and mother. The three had obviously heard Batty's declaration and had come out to make light of the matter at hand.

"All right," Grandfather Ash started softly. "What's the matter, Batty?"

Batty explained again. Crysta's mother looked surprised and a little nervous. "Humans? Are you sure?"

The brain-fried bat bobbed his head. Crysta's father broke in. "I think we should ask the Elfin Elders about this. They'll know what to do." Batty winced at this decision. That could take forever.

"But we have to take action now!" Batty pleaded. "They're not far from here and I could tell they were headed this way! We must do something!" he started jumping up and down again.

Grandfather Ash held up a hand to the anxious bat. "We'll hear what the Elders have to say. In the meantime, I think you should get some rest."

Batty frowned. "But-" He was cut off by a look from Grandfather Ash. The elderly elf nodded up to where Pips and Blackbeak perched. Batty sighed, spread his wings and flew back up to the branch where he hung upside down, muttering some strange words.

Just then, Crysta, Paddy, Wal and Bandy showed up. Batty abandoned his place of respite and instead glided down to meet them.

"Fairy-bug!" The bat started. "I saw some humans back in the woods! They're trapping animals and headed this way!" Finally, here was someone who would take action, he thought.

Crysta looked surprised. "Are you sure? Did one look like Zak?" Concern appeared on her face.

Batty shook his head vigorously. "No, no, no. There were three of them, and they caught Slider!"

Crysta gasped. Paddy looked scared. "They have Slider? What should we do?" The young pademelon fidgeted.

Crysta pressed Batty. "Did you tell anyone?"

"Your gramps and padres," Batty replied, a little gloomily. He still hadn't forgiven Grandfather Ash's last remark: 'you should get some rest'. Sure, he was brain-fried, but at least he knew danger when he saw it, and this was definitely danger.

But then, before Crysta could reply, there came a noise, distant at first, then growing louder and louder by the moment. It was a low rumble, like a thundercloud below the canopy. There was a series of crashes and splinterings that sounded like uprooting trees. Crysta and the baby animals froze, listening. Everything around Old Hi Rise followed suit. Batty started moaning. "What'd I tell 'em? Oh, fractured figs, we're all in serious trouble, now."

True to the bat's words, the next moment, a monstrous yellow machine crashed through the trees, its engine roaring terrifically loud. The fairies screamed and flew for safety. The animals all scurried for cover. Crysta tried to herd her charges someplace safe, but they were right in the monster's path. Batty threw himself onto the fairy and the animals, getting them out of the way of the monster's enormous black wheels. Crysta quickly got up and motioned for the babies and Batty to follow her, but the next moment, the machine's doors opened and two mean-looking Dobermans jumped out, snarling. Batty shrieked. Paddy, Wal and Bandy scattered in fear.

"Go on, Slasher! Seek 'em, Rex!" A lean, nasty-looking human jumped out as well, brandishing a whip which he cracked at the two dogs. They yelped and took off after Paddy, Wal and Bandy, followed by the human.

Crysta, before she could go off after the dogs, was caught by Batty, The frightened bat pulled her close to him and, spreading his wings, flew up to a high branch on Old Hi Rise. There, he leaned against the side of the tree and wrapped both wings firmly around her, watching with wide eyes as the other humans got out. Crysta was held so close to the bat's furry body that she could feel his heart thumping in his chest. Batty was truly terrified.

A plump human looked up at the surrounding trees. "Hm, this place looks like an ideal location to get at least eight more furry friends." He motioned to a burly human who stood nearby. "Ivan, grab the cell-phone, will you?"

Ivan handed Goldstein a small silver rectangle with a short black tube sticking out of the top. Fairies hiding in crevices and knotholes watched with bated breath as Goldstein put the device to his ear and in a few moments, started talking out loud.

Within five minutes, Mac and the two dogs returned, carrying three small nets that quivered. Paddy, Wal and Bandy were trapped inside. Crysta gasped as the plump human inspected the three animals. He smiled.

"Perfect. These little treasure-troves will fetch a handsome price once they're shipped overseas." The three humans and the two dogs climbed back in the truck, and, with a loud roar and more crashes, disappeared through the trees.

Once the truck was out of earshot, the fairies came out of their hiding places, some weeping, and some disbelieving. Batty released his hold on Crysta after the truck disappeared. She flew up into the air, looking at the rough path the truck had cleaved through the trees and plants.

Pips joined her. The elf was just as angry as she was. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he said, "Come on, we need to organize a plan to get the babies back."

Grandfather Ash flew to the Council Tree and notified the Elfin Elders of the incident. As Batty suspected, they ordered everyone to stay safe until the humans left the forest, and then they would decide what to do.

Crysta, Pips and Batty didn't like that idea very much, and Pips decided to call up the Beetle Boys to help them. Crysta was dubious at first.

"But what will we do when we find the humans?" She asked her friend. Pips answered in a confident tone, "We'll distract the humans, and then you release the animals."

"Easier said than done," Batty muttered unhappily. He was still a little shaky after what had happened. Eventually, it was decided that Crysta would rally any fairies or animals that were willing to help, while Pips contacted the Beetle Boys. The wingless elves were glad to oblige, as were their stag horn beetle mounts.

That evening, the poachers stopped in a clearing a mile from Old Hi Rise to rest for the night. So far, they had trapped two young kangaroo rats and a young platypus as well as a hatchling crocodile. They set up a fire pit and heated up noodles and sauce. They were just settling down when Goldstein suddenly shrieked and jumped off the ground. He pointed at a large mosquito hovering in front of his face. Mac, rolling his eyes, pulled out his six-inch hunting knife, aimed, and threw it at the pest. The knife hit the insect dead-on and landed in a nearby tree. Goldstein looked surprised. "N-nice shot," he gulped.

Mac smirked as he pulled his hat down over his face and leaned back against a log to go to sleep. Goldstein had a harder time falling asleep than his two workers. Ivan had settled against a tree after dinner and was out like a light. It wasn't fair, both Ivan and Mac were used to roughing it, while Goldstein was more used to a comfy bed and feather pillow in a fancy hotel. Grumbling, he set himself up in the truck and fell into a heavy sleep.

Crysta, who had been watching, smiled when Goldstein finally fell asleep. She motioned to Mel, Paddy's mother, who had wholeheartedly agreed to help. Wal's father and Bandy's father also came along, followed by Blackbeak and Batty.

Crysta nodded towards the truck. The animals slowly crept out of the forest but stopped short. There, in front of the truck, lay the two dogs! Before they could react, one of them let out a snore. Crysta sighed in relief. They were both sleeping.

Batty and Blackbeak flew down to the trailer where the cages were kept. Mel and Wal's father kept watch on the humans while Bandy's father kept both his eyes on the sleeping Dobermans.

Batty tackled the wooden cage where the hatchling cassowaries were kept. The baby birds watched him with wide eyes. Batty struggled with the stubborn lock. "Hang a fang," he whispered to no one. "What's a bat got to do to get a lock picked?" As soon as he said these words, he touched his antenna. Gingerly, Batty positioned the side of his head against the lock and shoved the wire ends of the antenna into the lock. Oddly enough, the antenna didn't spark or crackle or anything while Batty fiddled with the lock and eventually, with a soft click, it sprang open and Batty released the little cassowaries. Next, he set about freeing the rats, platypus and crocodile.

"Come on," he whispered, motioning the babies to the edge of the trailer bed. "We're gonna get you outta here." Blackbeak in the meantime had released Slider, Paddy, Wal, Bandy and the young frilled lizard. The cockatoo led them over to Batty.

Crysta nodded when she saw all the animals and gestured to Mel, who was still watching the humans. The pademelon made a slide out of her tail and back as she bent down, allowing the babies to safely and softly come to the ground. Once the babies were assembled around Mel, Wal's and Bandy's fathers motioned for the escapees to follow them back into the forest. Batty and Blackbeak flew after them, watching their backs. All would have gone without a hitch if Bandy hadn't sneezed. The little marsupial froze.

Crysta watched as one of the Dobermans woke and seeing the escaping animals, growled loudly. His companion woke as well and also started growling.

Suddenly, both dogs barked and charged the group. The animals scattered. Wal's and Bandy's fathers tried to herd the babies to safety while Mel fought back against one of the Dobermans, kicking it with her hind feet. For her small size, the pademelon was doing an excellent job of keeping the dog at bay. Crysta looked over at the campfire and gasped in dismay. Mac and Ivan bolted awake and rushed over. Mac grabbed the nets and nabbed Paddy and the frilled lizard that were just about to scurry under a rotten old log. Ivan snatched up Wal and Bandy. The rats were caught just before they leaped into the brush and the platypus and crocodile were easily captured since they had been sluggishly retreating in the other direction. Slider retreated into the trees and the baby cassowaries were cornered by one of the Dobermans.

Crysta, frowning determinedly, charged for the dog, hoping to distract him from the baby birds. It worked. Growling, the dog snapped and ran after her. Crysta flew through the forest, zigzagging here and there, and soon both were out of sight.

Back at the campsite, Mac and Ivan managed to recapture all the animals except for Slider, who was up in a tree with Blackbeak and Batty.

Goldstein finally woke up. Falling out of the truck, he demanded sleepily, "What's going on here?"

"The animals got out," Mac grumbled as he tied a knot in the sacks holding Paddy and the lizard. Ivan followed suit with the nets. The cassowaries were put back in the cage which was then locked.

"Got out? How did they get out?" Goldstein frowned.

"How should I know?" Mac snapped. "I was sound asleep. Weren't you in the truck?"

Goldstein grumbled under his breath as he climbed back in. Mac and Ivan, after they were sure the animals were secured once again, went back to the campfire.

Just then, Pips and the Beetle Boys, who had been watching, decided that now was the perfect time for a diversion. The Beetle Boys charged out, buzzing around Ivan and Mac and urging them into the forest. Pips flew over to the trailer bed and tried to release the animals again, but a dark shadow out of the corner of his eyes stopped him. It was Goldstein.

"I hate bugs," he seethed and smacked at Pips. The elf missed being hit by a flailing fist. He whistled. "Batty! I need your help! Get down here!"

Sighing, Batty dropped out of the tree and headed straight for Goldstein, winging the man's head. Goldstein yelped and swatted at the small fruit bat dive-bombing him. Pips saw his chance and set about untying the sacks. He was almost through the first knot when he chanced to look up. His eyes went wide with fear. Ivan, back at the campfire, had grabbed a flaming log and was waving it at the offending Beetle Boys. As it happened, the log slipped from his grasp and fell onto a small fern outcropping. The plants lit up in a blaze.

"No!" Pips shouted. At almost the same time, Mac yelled at Ivan, "You fool! You've ruined us! Everyone, get in the truck!"

Goldstein was only too glad to oblige. Swatting once more, he caught Batty on the wing; the startled fruit bat was sent careening into a nearby tree. "Rip, snort!" He bleeped, crashing into the side of an ash tree. Pips, before he could finish releasing the animals, was jolted off the trailer when the truck started up. The remaining Doberman jumped onto the trailer bed and Ivan and Mac piled into the cab after Goldstein and with a roar, the truck was off, disappearing through the trees. Pips looked back at the rapidly growing flames.

The Beetle Boys had retreated into the canopy, Batty was knocked senseless and without Crysta, how could he fight these flames? Before he could call for help, Crysta appeared at his side. Mel, Wal's and Bandy's fathers showed up and were helping to fight the blaze.

One by one, several fairies that Crysta had managed to organize while she was gone came in to help and before the night was out, the fire was gone, but the flames had taken their toll: several trees had died and a long stretch of bare earth signaled where the fire had started. To add to that, many animals had also been caught in the flames. Mel was badly burned, as were Wal's father and Slider, who had tried fanning out the flames and got too close. But the humans had escaped with Paddy, Wal and Bandy and had left behind a trail of destruction.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, only a bad memory and an area of scarred earth was left of the night previous. Mel, Wal's father and Slider were taken to Old Hi Rise for medical care. Mel's burns were the worst. The brave pademelon fought back tears when Crysta told her that the truck got away with her son. Wal's father also had a hard time coping.

Pips, Batty and the Beetle Boys were brought before the Elfin Elders and severely reprimanded for their foolhardy behavior that nearly cost them the lives of three animals and their beloved forest as well. Batty took the scolding the worst. His ears drooped, he lowered his head and he let his wings drag. Crysta noticed his apparent change when they stepped out of the Council Tree. She flew down to meet them.

Pips managed a wry smile. "Hi,"

"Hi," Crysta said quietly. "How'd it go?"

"Awful," growled Stump, the leader of the Beetle Boys. "Those high-hats are off their rockers if you ask me. No offense, Crysta; I know your gramps is one of them, but-"

Crysta interrupted. "I know, It's okay. Batty, what's wrong?" Batty Koda hunched his shoulders and buried his head in his wings, making it plain that he didn't want to talk right at that moment. Pips frowned suddenly. "I know what I have to do, Crysta." His serious tone puzzled Crysta, and she asked, "What are you talking about?"

"I have to go after those babies. It was my fault they got away. If only I had got there earlier and-"

Crysta grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "You did your best. So did Batty and the Beetle Boys." Hearing his name, Batty poked his head out from behind his wing.

"But it wasn't enough," Pips growled.

"Well, what are you planning to do to make it enough?"

Pips took a deep breath before he answered. "I'm going after the humans, and I'll rescue the baby animals."

"Well, somebody has to do it!" Pips argued. It was later in the morning. Crysta had finished caring for the burned animals and had a few moments to herself to get back to Pips and ask what exactly he was planning to do to make the rescue.

"But, Pips," Crysta reasoned. "None of us has ever been outside these forests!"

"They're probably already in 'the town' by now." Batty interjected, hanging upside down between the two fairies on Old Hi Rise. Pips looked puzzled at Batty's words. "What's 'the town'?"

Batty shook his head. "It's no place for little bugs like you, that's for sure. It's full of weed killer, pesticides, electricity, needles, and worst of all, humans galore! It's a horrible place!" He shivered visibly. Pips frowned. "You're saying we should just give up; without even trying to find the babies?"

Batty shivered again and looked crestfallen from the fairy's upside-down view. "In a word: Yes."

Pips frowned again, but this time, he seemed angry. "Well, I'm not afraid of any 'weed killer', I'm going whether you agree with me or not." He turned to the Beetle Boys to see if they shared his thoughts. He was not disappointed. Stump, the leader, said in a boastful voice, "Yeah, if any of those 'televijuns' tries anything funny, wham!" His group cheered with him. Pips smiled. "To the town, then!"

But then, Guzzi, a smaller member of the Beetle Boys, asked timidly, "But, Pips, how do we find 'the town'?" Pips hesitated. "Batty?" He asked quietly. Batty jammed both thumb claws into his ears and shook his head vigorously. "Nope, not tellin' anyone!"

"Batty," Pips said again. Batty kept his resolve. "Nope. No, no, no, and did I say no? I refuse!"

Pips walked back up to his friend. "Batty, you know more then any of us the terrible things that humans do to animals. That's what will happen to those babies unless we find them and rescue them."

Batty peeked out and Pips could see just how upset the bat was. True, he did know more about humans, but that did not mean he would spit out all he knew about them to his friends who were planning to go among them. The bat whimpered. "So true," he paused and then frowned and dropped from his perch, landing directly in front of Pips. "I'm coming with you!" He stated. "You bugs wouldn't last ten nanoseconds without Batty Koda leading the way!"

Pips folded his arms. "I thought you were scared of humans, Batty."

Batty leaned in close. "Scared? Moi? Of course I'm scared of humans, you gotta be batty not to." He straightened proudly, not realizing the reference he just made to his name. Pips decided not to press it.

Crysta looked long and hard at Pips. She hugged him. "Be careful."

Pips smiled as he broke the embrace. "I will. Look after everyone here, and don't worry; we won't let Ferngully down!" Fluttering his wings, he flew off after Batty Koda, who was muttering something about diesel fuel, and the Beetle Boys. As she watched their forms disappear, a small tear ran down Crysta's cheek. She closed her eyes, and then she turned and winged her way back down to check on Mel.

With Batty in the lead to guide them, Pips and the Beetle Boys passed by mile after mile of rainforest, but it wasn't hard to find the poacher's trail of crushed timber and plant life. "Short-circuit side effects," muttered Batty. "I can't believe I'm going back."

"Back where?" Bark, the littlest Beetle Boy, asked and flew up beside the bat. Batty Koda snorted. "Back to civilization; I told myself that I would never go there again, and now look at me!"

Bark looked. "And?" he asked, puzzled.

"Never mind, let's just hoon, bug." Batty sighed. Pips, who was flying directly behind Batty, heard the remark. He felt sorry for the fruit bat who wanted nothing more than to stay away from humans and hoped that this trip would not be too drastic for him.

Around mid-afternoon, they stopped. The rainforest had ended and instead the group found themselves flying through lush countryside with flowing streams. It was Batty who passed the word back. "Hang a fang, fairy-bugs, I'm on gravity gross-out; gotta make a pit stop." He flapped down beside one such river and flopped onto his back in the shallows. Once he had cooled off somewhat, he climbed back out and sat heavily upon the hard baked sandy riverbank.

As Pips and the Beetle Boys got a fresh drink, Batty scoped out the scenery. Nothing but rolling hills and countryside for another few miles, he mused. He stood back up and stretched. "Okay, bugs. Let's make like the infra-red and hoon." He flapped off, followed closely behind by his entourage who wondered what in the world the bat just said.

A little later, the little streams below them turned into one big river. As they flew along it, Batty caught sight of a huge factory plant that was sifting waste into the river, turning its edge a murky brown. Batty sighed as he passed over, wishing he were anywhere but here. But just then, Bark, who was till flying beside him, shouted, "Whoa, what's that up there?"

Batty snapped back to attention and almost stopped in his flight. Up ahead, against the darkening horizon, there appeared a faint pinkish glow. As they drew nearer, Batty saw it was a fairground. He moaned. "Fractured figs, who decided to put a circus here?"

The group landed in a tree overhanging a cake tent. The branches were strung with colorful electric lights that blinked every few seconds, making the tree appear like a whole colony of fireflies were roosting there.

Pips wasn't paying attention to the lights. He was far too interested in the carnival rides below. He smiled. "Batty, do you see this?"

"I've seen way too much," the bat grumbled as he flapped up beside the fairy. "Trust me, fairy-bug: it's madness down there."

Pips decided to check it out for himself and before Batty could stop him, winged as fast as he could down among the fairgrounds, buzzing this way and that between dozens of human lined up at booths. Batty screeched after the fleeting fairy, "Hey! Wait! I said –" He stopped short as the Beetle Boys buzzed past him, following after Pips. Groaning, Batty spread his wings to go after them and make sure they didn't get into any trouble.

However, Batty realized that everyone had split up and headed into different directions. Stump was up on the roller coaster, Knot and Bark were at a cotton candy booth, Guzzi buzzed around the animal show-tents and Pips was at a game booth, flying among all the stuffed animal prizes. Batty growled low in his throat as he flew overhead. At last, he spotted Bark at a baked goods tent. The Beetle Boy had landed smack dab in a cake.

"Short-circuit side effects! Hang on!" Batty screeched as he dove, snatching up the small elf and his mount. Fortunately, the lady at the booth had her back turned and didn't notice it when the fruit bat landed in her cake, leaving claw marks in the soft frosting.

"I don't know why I bother," the bat sighed. "You're all totally out of control." He carried Bark back up to the lighted tree and landed. Presently, the rest of the group showed up, laughing at how much they had enjoyed themselves. Batty folded his wings in a cross manner and rolled his eyes.

"Oho, having fun, are we?" He asked sarcastically. When he was met by cries in the positive, he continued. "Well, I have a joke for you. It's about some fairies, brave and strong, that come to the scary human world to rescue poor, defenseless little…"

The smile left Pips' face. "Babies," he said quietly.

Batty laughed mirthlessly. "So you've heard this one,"

Pips turned and looked at the sky. It was already night. He shook his head. "We don't know where to look, Batty. This place is so huge and they could be anywhere."

Batty flapped up to a branch above and covered himself with his wings. "Get some sleep," he directed softly. "Human fun takes it out of ya, let me tell you."

As a matter of fact, the poachers weren't that far away. They had stopped at an old warehouse along the very same river that Batty, Pips and the Beetle Boys had flown along. Here, the animals from Ferngully were put into wooden crates that were stacked on top of each other against the back wall of the warehouse. There were a good many other crates lined and stacked up here and there. Some held exotic birds, others mammals, and they all looked rather young; almost as young as Paddy, Wal and Bandy.

Paddy's crate was set up on top of Wal's and Bandy's crate faced him. The young pademelon shivered as Mac walked past with that mean dog. The other Doberman had been left behind in Ferngully. This one was Slasher. The dog followed along beside his master with his head down, mourning for the loss of Rex.

"Paddy?" Bandy squeaked across from him. "Where are we going?"

Paddy tried to answer in a positive manner. "I don't know, Bandy, but whatever happens, it'll be all right." He could see that his speech didn't help the frightened little bandicoot, so, with a sigh, the pademelon lay down in the back corner of his crate, curled up and fell asleep.

The next morning, the sun rose on a burned area of Ferngully. Several fairies had worked through the night on the burned patch of earth. Mel, Slider and Wal's father had recovered sufficiently from their burn wounds but were still unable to leave Old Hi Rise. Crysta tried not to say anything about the poachers, seeing how sad Mel and the wombat's faces got.

Around midmorning, Crysta left to get fresh water for the patients. She saw Sandy and Wilkea, some friends of Pips, by the riverbank, filling up leaf pouches with the clear cool water. She landed beside them. "Hello, Sandy. Hi, Wilkea," both fairies greeted her in turn. Wilkea had been born without wings, making it a burden for him to get around, but he was an excellent musician, as was Sandy and the brothers often held concerts with Pips around Sleepy Hollow.

Crysta filled up her pouch and waved as Sandy and Wilkea left on foot. She closed her eyes, letting the sunbeams play over her back but the next moment, her pointed ears picked up a sound from back in the bushes. Her eyelids shot open and she turned cautiously. No one was there. She picked up the leaf pouch that was filled with water and was about to leave when she heard the noise again. It was a long, mournful whimper.

Crysta decided to investigate. Whoever was making that noise was obviously in pain. She set the pouch on the ground and slowly fluttered over. The whimpers came from a large rhododendron bush. She flew up and peered through the dark green foliage. All at once, a pointed head popped up. Crysta cried out, startled and flew for cover behind a small fig tree. When she looked again, she saw it was the lost Doberman. The dog howled. Crysta felt a pang of sadness as she looked at those big brown eyes that were so full of pain. Bracing herself, she slowly flew down to the dog, who had laid his head on the ground. Crysta saw the reason for his howls. The dog's foot was bleeding heavily and appeared to be broken. She suddenly felt sorry for having led the dog on a wild chase through the woods last night.

She touched down in front of the Doberman's nose. The dog flinched and tried to back up into the bushes. He's afraid of me, Crysta realized. She knelt and softly touched the dog's face, stroking it. The dog calmed down.

"I'm here to help you." She said soothingly. "My name's Crysta, what's yours?"

The dog barked. Crysta furrowed her brow as she tried to understand what the dog had just told her. Through the dog's thick accent, she could recognize the name 'Rex'. "Rex?" She asked. The dog nodded. "Pleased to meet you, Rex," she smiled and reached towards his injured foot. "I'm going to take care of that foot for you. Stay here, I'll be right back."

She picked up the leaf pouch and flew off for Old Hi Rise where she quickly checked on her patients, all three were asleep, and got together some herbs and leaf mixtures that would help the dog's foot. Once she got back, she saw that the dog had company. A large goanna was standing a few feet away, quietly observing the Doberman. When he saw Crysta, the goanna nodded to the dog.

"Looks like one of the humans' pets." The lizard said in a low voice.

Crysta flew down to the dog and quickly prepared a mixture of leaves and herbs that she formed into a poultice with water from the river and spread onto the dog's foot. The Doberman flinched visibly, but did not howl. Instead, he whimpered and laid his head back down on his paws.

"I'm sorry that it hurts." Crysta said, patting the dog's head. She stood up. "Where are you from, Rex?"

Rex barked once, twice, and looked down the river. Crysta looked that way, too. "From the human town? Is it that way?" Rex nodded.

Crysta bit her lip. She pulled a dock leaf off a nearby stem and wrapped it around the injured paw. Then she looked at the goanna. "Can you give me a hand?"

The lizard seemed dubious. "You're not seriously taking that thing back, are you?"

Crysta nodded. "I have to; he'll die if I don't." Rex whimpered at her words. The goanna sighed. "Wait here." He disappeared through the brush and returned a moment later, lugging a log along behind him. "You can use this as a boat."

Crysta smiled and thanked the goanna for his help. The lizard seemed pleased and stuck around to push the log into the river and help Rex onto it. The Doberman clung to the log as the goanna pushed it off. Crysta sat in front of the dog, talking to him, trying to get his mind off the pain in his paw. Before they disappeared, Crysta called back to the goanna, "Can you tell my parents I'm all right, and that they should look after the patients while I'm gone?"

The goanna nodded and bustled away through the bushes towards Old Hi Rise.

Back at the fairground, Batty, Pips and the Beetle Boys were plotting their next move. Pips suggested that they head back along the river. They were bound to find the truck's tire treads in the ground if they kept up with that route.

Batty rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked at the carnival. Not many people were there. In fact, it hadn't even opened. The fruit bat spotted a few employees as they rushed about, opening rides and booths for a new day. Batty sighed.

Almost at once, a noise tugged at his ears. The bat whipped around, trying to find the source. Pips noticed his intent expression and asked, "What's the matter?"

Batty motioned him over and peered through the leaves at a small trailer home. In the front yard, a young girl dressed in ridiculous get-up was unicycling around in circles while juggling colorful bean balls. A man stood off to her left, also dressed in a strange outfit. He held an oversized net in his left hand and with his right he directed the young girl.

"That's it, Budgie, just don't forget to count," he encouraged. "Okay," the girl replied, sounding less sure of her skill.

Batty's eyes popped. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" He backed up, trying to drag Pips back as well, but the fairy shook out of the bat's grasp and flew closer. He appeared to be thinking. "I wonder if she can help us," he mused out loud. Batty screeched, "What? Have you gone infra-red on me? We can't do that! She's a human!"

"She looks like one of us." Stump remarked, joining Pips. "Kinda big, though." Knot observed.

"Houston, we have a problem," Batty bleeped frantically. "We cannot ask a human for help!"

Pips ignored Batty's warning and instead put this question to him. "Batty, we're lost and have no idea where to go. I'm going to go ask her." Batty grabbed hold of Pips' shoulder. "Why don't we all just split up and look separately? Well, not entirely separate, we should stick together, especially around me!"

Pips frowned. "I'll be right back. Stay here." Batty watched in dismay as Pips descended to a lower branch, where he could watch more closely. The girl on the unicycle was not doing too well. She started to wobble and dropped her juggling balls. "I'm gonna fall, Grandpa, I know I'm gonna fall."

"Concentrate, Budgie. Keep counting, you can do-" At that moment, Budgie fell. She landed in a heap on the ground. Her grandfather sighed as he helped her up. "How about you go inside and take it easy for a little while? I'll be back this afternoon. Don't open the door to anyone." He turned then and walked to a small car parked alongside the trailer home. He got in, turned the ignition on and drove off.

The girl waited until her grandfather left that she started to cry. Kneeling in the dirt, she rubbed her eyes and tried to stifle the sobs bubbling up inside of her. Pips felt sorry for this unusual human and decided now was the best time to speak to her. Flying down, he hovered in front of her face. "Hey, are you okay?" The human didn't answer. Her hands covered her painted face.

"Excuse me," Pips said again. It was then he realized that she couldn't hear him at all. Not even if he were to shout at her. Pips frowned. What was that spell that Crysta told him about, that bestowed the fairy sight and speech on a living creature? He had seen her perform the spell on Batty when they first met him. Now, what were those words? And would they work if he said them?

Taking a deep breath, Pips spread his arms and started chanting, "Bless your eyes with magic light, I give the gift of fairy sight."

Suddenly, the girl stopped crying and took her hands away from her face. Her painted face was streaked with tears. She appeared confused. "W-who said that?" She sniffled. Pips smiled. It had worked! "I did," he flitted in front of her face. "Are you all right?"

The girl looked shocked. She had short brown hair and big brown eyes, like a deer. She was scrawny and appeared no older than twelve years of age. "You said that?" She whispered, unbelievingly. Pips nodded. "Yes, I did. My name is-"

"Wait, wait: you understand me? And I understand you? How can that be?" The girl wrinkled her nose. Pips sighed. "I gave you the gift of fairy sight. I'm Pips, what's your name?"

"Budgie," the girl said uncertainly. "My real name is Isabelle, but my grandpa calls me Izza, or Budgie, like the parakeet." Pips knew what budgies were: budgerigars as they were commonly called, or parakeets. They were small, long-tailed birds with a hooked beak and hung out in large flocks throughout Ferngully. They came in a variety of colors, though mostly in green, black and yellow. Pips decided to get back to the original conversation. "Anyway, I was wondering if you could tell me if you've seen any poachers around here."

Budgie looked confused. It struck Pips that she probably hadn't seen the humans, but he continued anyway. "Some poachers came into Ferngully-"

"Ferngully? Where's that?"

"My home, a rainforest a ways from here. But recently, some poachers came and captured some-" for the third time, Pips was interrupted. The Beetle Boys came buzzing down from the tree, to get a closer look at this strange human. Budgie's face contorted with disgust when she saw the stag beetles coming towards her. "Ah!" She cried, swatting away at the annoying insects. "What are these things?"

Pips tried to reassure her, the same time as he tried not to get hit by her hands as they swatted the air. "They're my friends,"

"Get 'em away from me!" Budgie swung and struck Pips in the chest. The fairy bonked against a clothesline pole and fell to the ground, the wind knocked out of him.

Budgie gasped when she saw what she did. "Oh, my gosh!" She got up and rushed to Pips who was just starting to stir. He groaned as she tenderly picked him up.

"Are you okay?" Budgie asked with concern. Pips tried to shrug it off, although he did feel dizzy.

"I'm fine, really. You humans pack some punch." He managed weakly.

"I really hurt you," Budgie said sadly.

Pips shook his head and tried to stand. "No, I'm okay, see?" He fell back into the palm of her hand. Budgie walked to the trailer home door. She opened it and placed Pips on the floor inside. "You need to rest. I'm going to go practice some more, but I'll be in later. You'll be safe here, anyway and then if you want, I'll bring you to the fair with me."

Pips smiled his thanks. Budgie grinned and stepped aside to let the Beetle Boys in, and then she closed the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Batty Koda, who had been watching from the tree this whole time, gasped in disbelief when he saw Budgie let Pips and the Beetle Boys inside her home. "Mayday! Batty to Ferngully: Pips and Beetle Boys captured, mission a disaster! Requesting backup, pronto! Oh, fractured figs, why didn't they listen?"

He felt very upset. No one ever listened when he told them that humans were off limits and what do they do? They go right up and talk to one! He spread his wings and flapped off, his antenna sparking.

Batty wasn't sure where he was going, but he hoped he could find some clue to the poachers' whereabouts. He ended up flying along the same river and came across a few abandoned warehouses along the bank. He decided to check them out. The first one he flew over to was a tall, ugly thing made of brick and rotted wood with big metal doors on the front. But there was a strange black insignia of a bull on the doors, one that looked like…

"Warped banana peels!" He shrieked. He struggled to stop in mid air but ended up smacking into the metal doors themselves. He dropped to the gravel driveway and lay for a moment, waiting for the stars to clear.

"Aha!" He bleeped, staggering to his feet. "It's a clue! Oh, to joy and hallelujah, I've found a clue!" Quickly flapping up, Batty peered in through a window and sure enough, he saw the three humans and several wooden crates inside. "It's all clear now; I've got to get back to the others!" He flapped off in the direction of Budgie's trailer home and crashed into the window overlooking the kitchen sink. When he peered in, he nearly fell off the sill. Pips and the Beetle Boys were having a grand time inside playing with the electronic devices, trying the ice cream in the freezer and switching the radio on and off. Batty tapped madly at the window until Pips noticed him.

The fairy flew up to unlock it; he seemed excited. Once the window was unlocked, Batty's words came out in a rush. "Hey, hey, I found the-" he tripped and fell on his face as he tumbled inside. "Fairy bug! I found the baby-" Pips stopped him.

"Batty, look at this" He fluttered to the sink and switched the faucets on and off, saying, "River on, river off, river on, river off. Isn't that amazing?" Batty winced.

Knot and Stump demonstrated the switches on the living room lamp. "Sun on, sun off, sun on, sun off."

Guzzi demonstrated further by jumping up and down on the toaster lever.

"Yeesh," Batty shook his head in contempt. "You bugs are on gravity gross-out…" he happened to look towards the television and spot Bark who was about to press the 'on' button.

"Sonic interference!" He bleeped and flapped over to the set where he pushed Bark away and spread his wings so that they covered the screen. "I insist you stay away from that sinister square. You have no idea what this does to humans,"

Pips and the other Beetle Boys flew over, now attracted to the box that Batty was trying to hide. "Lighten up, Batty," Stump snickered as he readied a small sling he kept on his belt. He fitted a small round stone into the pouch. "This is our friend's world."

"Exactomundo!" Batty exclaimed. "We don't belong here at all, we-" he was rudely interrupted because at that moment, Stump started swinging his sling and released the pebble. It hit the 'on' button head on and Batty shrieked and fell to the floor as the set thundered to life, revealing a live rock n' roll concert.

Pips and the Beetle Boys stared, transfixed at the screen. They had never seen anything like this before.

Batty groaned as he picked himself up. He tried again, jumping up and down in front of the television screen. "I've found the babies!" he shouted. "The poachers, the forest, the fire, their truck," he tried desperately to jog their memories as to why they had come this far. "The babies!"

Pips appeared not to have heard. "Oh, Budgie said she was going to take us on some rides later if you wanted to come."

Batty could hardly believe his ears. Was this the same Pips he had known not ten minutes ago? He sighed miserably as he stepped away from the group staring up at the screen and flapped over to the open kitchen window. As a final resort, he called back, "I'm going to save the babies, is anyone coming with me?" As he expected, there was no answer. Poor Batty slumped against the window sill, very disappointed.

He turned to leave, but stopped as he heard a buzzing noise behind him. It was Bark, the littlest Beetle Boy. "Just you then, huh?" Batty asked. Bark nodded excitedly. Batty sighed but perked up. "Okay then, partner, it's just you and me. Let's hoon!"

Bat and Beetle Boy flew off towards the warehouse. Once they arrived, Batty was going over a plan of action.

"Bark, I'll go around the back, and you guard the exit." He scurried away, but turned around. "Never mind, we'll both guard the exit," he stopped again and his antenna sparked. "No!" The bat bleeped. "You read the paper and I'll go around the back! Hark, little John, the barn's on fire!" Bark watched in disbelief as the bat flapped up into the air, shouting, "Charge!"

Batty's antenna was sparking in earnest now and he dove towards the glass roof, squeezing his eyes shut as he plunged through. The glass was already weak and broken in several areas, so breaking through wasn't a chore. There was a loud crash and the sound of glass tinkling on the cement floor below and he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, mid-section and back.

His antenna sparked again and he found himself crying, "The cavalry is here!" Then he swooped down to the wooden crates at the back of the room, but didn't get far. Mac had seen the brain-fried bat crash through the glass roof from below and had quickly caught Batty before he could get to the crates. Batty thrashed and shrieked in the poacher's hold, screaming things like, "I'm hit! I've gone down!" or "Admiral, clear the receiving pad!"

Mac examined the struggling bat in his hands and noticed the antenna sticking out of Batty's head. Goldstein had rushed in at that moment as did Ivan. Both looked bewildered. "What happened?" Goldstein demanded. Mac held Batty up by his feet. "This little bloke came through the roof."

"What's the matter with him?" Ivan asked, peering closely at Batty's headgear. Batty's head had cleared and he suddenly realized what was going on. "Infra-red air waves!" He grunted, trying to flap out of Mac's iron grip. Goldstein seemed to smile. "I wonder if he would fetch a profit,"

Ivan scoffed. "He's damaged, can't you see that?" Goldstein grinned. Batty could almost hear the cash registers going off in the human's head. "We could sell him to one of those biology labs," Batty gaped.

Mac shot that idea down. "Look at him, he'd never make it. We'll just keep him here until we find a good offer, and not from any labs, savvy?" Both men agreed. Mac towed Batty over to a cage that was right near Paddy's. Batty struggled every step of the way. "Ah! Ouch, you big lummox! Let go!"

All the animals in the crates watched with wide eyes as Batty put up such a big fuss. Finally, Mac tossed him in the crate and locked the door. Batty hissed and spat at the human as he walked away. "Bad move with the charging," he muttered.

"That's okay, Batty," Paddy said nearby. "It was nice of you to try, though."

"Yep," Batty mumbled unhappily. "You can always rely on good old Batty to get you out of a scrape." The fruit bat sat heavily down on the wooden floor and wrapped his wings around himself, ashamed that he had failed.

* * *

><p>Bark watched all this through the roof and when he saw that Batty was captured, high-tailed it back to the trailer home. The Beetle Boy remembered where Pips and the others had gone, so he headed instead for the carnival. It didn't take him long to find his fellow Beetle Boys. They were at a shooting booth, where the contestants lined up at the table and shot small colorful paint balls at these wooden ducks that went around and around this track on the wall.<p>

Bark waited impatiently until the people at the table were finished and then he zoomed down. Stump, Knot and Guzzi were laughing at how much fun they had when the ducks they had been riding on had been splattered with paint.

Bark reported breathlessly, "Batty's been captured by the poachers, but I know where the babies are!" The Beetle Boys immediately sprang into action. Stump leaped onto his stag-horn and shouted at Knot and Guzzi. "Find Pips, we gotta save those animals!"

Knot and Guzzi buzzed off in one direction, Stump in the other, while Bark decided to try and find Budgie. He had a hunch that wherever the human girl was, Pips would be with her. He was right. The two were at the giant slide. Bark flew up to them. "Pips!" He shouted. The fairy and Budgie turned around.

"I found the baby animals, but Batty was captured!" The Beetle Boy repeated. Pips' eyes widened. "When did this happen?"

"While we were in Budgie's house," Bark replied, slightly confused. Could it really have been that long ago? Pips looked frustrated. "I don't remember that at all! What was I doing?"

"You were watching that square thing…" Bark frowned. He didn't know what the television was called. Pips finished for him. "You mean Batty went off while we were inside, waiting for Budgie?"

Bark nodded. It was Budgie's turn to look confused. "Who's Batty? And what's all this about baby animals?" Pips explained, looking very ashamed. "The reason we came here was to follow some poachers who had come through our home and stolen some baby animals."

"That's horrible!" Budgie intoned. Pips nodded ruefully. "Batty is our fruit bat friend. While we were waiting for you in your home, he must have flown off to rescue the animals himself. He had tried to tell us, but we were just so distracted by this place!"

Budgie held out her hand for Pips to land on. "I'll help you rescue them."

Soon, Budgie, Pips and the Beetle Boys arrived at the warehouse. The group approached cautiously, in case one of the poachers should happen to notice them. Budgie climbed up to a windowsill and peeked in through the stained glass. Pips joined her.

"Is that them?" She whispered. Pips nodded. "That's them, all right."

Stump pointed out, "Okay, so we're here, now what do we do?"

Guzzi sounded upset. "We can't possibly take them by ourselves. They have those big animal guards, remember?"

"Well, we can't just abandon the babies," Knot retorted. His stag-horn mount buzzed impatiently.

Just then, the big metal doors of the warehouse creaked open. Budgie flattened herself against the wall of the building and gasped as a huge yellow truck with two covered trailers rolled slowly through.

On a sudden and crazy impulse, Budgie leaped for the covered trailer and snagged a hold on the tarp covering.

"Budgie!" Pips shouted after her retreating form on the back of the speeding truck. "Come on, let's go!" The fairy waved to the Beetle Boys to follow him and away they flew, trying with all their might to catch up to the trailer.

* * *

><p>Budgie clutched the side of the truck in terror as it rolled along down the dirt roads. She opened her eyes at one point and swallowed loudly. Maneuvering herself over to the back of the trailer, she slipped inside under the tarp covering. She squinted in the sudden dimness, but was soon able to make out several metal cages stacked up against the back of the trailer. Several squawks emanated from inside the cages as she advanced, so it was a safe bet that this was the bird van. Budgie used her hair pin to unlock the cages and succeeded in freeing all the birds. She untied the tarp from where it was fastened down on the outside of the truck and marveled at the fleeing rainbow of lorikeets, cockatoos, and various parrots as they flapped back to whence they came.<p>

She didn't reflect on the Kodak moment too long, however. She knew she had to get to the other trailer which meant another trip on the outside of the trailer. She bit her lips as she climbed back out, forcing her eyes not to look down as the truck squealed along a road built into the side of a large hill. Below a river trickled, which was the last thing Budgie needed to see right now. Inch by inch she made her way, until at last, she was at the front of the second trailer. In-between she and the first trailer was a metal attachment. Carefully planting her hands on the cold metal, she crawled slowly along until she reached the trailer and pulled herself up. She let out her held breath and slipped in under the tarp. This trailer had fewer cages than the one before. She advanced towards the closest one which held a huddled figure inside. A second later, the figure stirred and opened its leathery wings… and shrieked in surprise!

"Short-circuit side effects!" Batty bleeped, backing up against the back of his cage, shivering violently. "It's you! What have you done with Pips and the Boys?"

Budgie almost lost her voice. Did the bat just speak? She cleared her throat and hesitantly asked, "Are you Batty?"

Batty Koda sniffed proudly and spread his wings out, trying to appear larger than his normal size. "I should think so, both mentally and name-wise, and it's Batty Koda to you, missy!"

"I'm Budgie…"

"Aha! So you're the human that's been causing this whole mess!" Batty pointed accusingly at the girl with his large thumb claw. "No!" Budgie frowned. "I'm here to save you!" She didn't know why she was arguing with a bat at this time. As she talked, she jiggled the lock.

"Ha!" Batty snorted scornfully. "What a rort! The only help I'll ever need from humans is the 'letting alone' kind!" Batty folded his wings and glared at the girl in front of him. Budgie leaned forward so that her nose almost touched the bars of the cage. Batty looked wary. "Pips is on his way and so are the Boys. I'm going to try and free you all, alright?"

There was a sound like a sigh from inside the cage. "Hang a fang, do what you want, human!" Batty grumbled. Budgie half-smiled and jammed her hairpin into the lock. Wiggling it vigorously, she sighed in relief when she heard the click and the lock dropping to the floor. Budgie opened the cage door, reached inside and pulled out Batty Koda. She held him rather like she was examining him. Batty was starting to feel rather ashamed of his attitude. This human really did want to help him.

"Ahem," Batty cleared his throat, feeling his furry face go hot from his blush. "We seem to have a whole trailer full of animals that are still in their cages, if you know what I mean."

Budgie smiled then. Releasing the bat, she retrieved her hairpin from the fallen lock and set about trying to unlock all the other cages. Batty even pitched in, using his antenna wires as a key. This would often result in his antenna sparking loudly and him getting shocked as the wires reacted with the metal of the lock. Just then, before she could open up Paddy's unlocked cage, the tarp flew up and she heard a cruel snicker from behind her. Budgie whirled around and gasped upon seeing Mac only a few feet away.

The poacher placed his hands on his hips and shook his head, almost laughing. "That was pretty clever of you, taking my birds, but next time, you might want to make sure you take out the rearview mirrors before you do anything stupid."

Budgie's knuckles turned white as the poacher came nearer, sneering at her. Suddenly, with a loud scream, Batty hurled himself at Mac's head. The startled poacher waved his arms wildly, trying to fend off the attacking bat. Budgie saw her chance and made a break for it, ducking under Mac's legs and jumping out of the trailer onto the other's tarp-covered exterior. However, before she could make another move, Mac grabbed hold of Batty with one hand and with the other he leaned out of the trailer and loosened the pin that held the attachment together

"Good luck, girlie!" He cackled as the trailer slowed in its ascent and then started going backwards down the road. Budgie let go of the tarp and jumped clear before the trailer went off the cliff. She landed hard on the dirt road with a thud.

Pips caught up with her. The fairy and the Beetle Boys buzzed over, expecting the worst, but not a moment later, Budgie stirred and sat up, breathing hard and rubbing her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Pips asked. Budgie nodded. "I just got the wind knocked out of me." She cast her eyes down. "I managed to free the birds, but not the baby animals, sorry."

Pips looked surprised. "You did what?"

Stump grumbled, "That musta been one heckuva ride, human." The Beetle Boy leader looked approving, though.

Budgie grinned wryly. "I almost freed Batty, but one of the poachers surprised me at that moment. Batty distracted him while I escaped." She turned to Pips. "Your bat friend doesn't really like humans, does he?"

Pips shrugged. "Mostly no, but I'm surprised. It sounds like he was trying to save you."

Budgie stood up. "Well, nevertheless, we have a long walk ahead of-" she whipped around as a car honked from behind them. It was Budgie's grandfather.

"Budgie!" The elderly man cried as he pulled over and leaped out. He swept his granddaughter up in a hug. "Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you! Why didn't you stay back at the trailer?"

As the grandfather scolded Budgie, Pips raised his arms and again started to chant. "Bless your eyes with magic light; I give the gift of fairy sight!"

Automatically, the grandfather raised his head, staring intently at Pips. "Budgie," he whispered. "Is that what I think it is?"

Budgie smiled as she squeezed her grandpa's hand. "Yes, it is. Pips, I'd like to introduce my grandpa, Joseph Turner."

Mr. Turner held out a finger to Pips, who hesitantly shook it. This human seemed right at home with meeting fairies. "Did I miss something, Izza?" Mr. Turner asked teasingly.

Budgie nodded. "A little. These fairies are trying to rescue some baby animals that were taken from their rainforest by poachers."

Mr. Turner frowned. "Then, by all means, let's follow them! Hop in, all of you!" The man rushed back to his car. Budgie hopped in the front seat and Pips and the Beetle Boys settled themselves in the cup holders in the front.

* * *

><p>Not far away, in fact, below in the river, Crysta and Rex were still floating. The fairy had so far managed to find out that Rex and his friend, the other Doberman Slasher, were abused by their master, Mac. The poacher was harsh and cruel and often forgot entirely about the dogs; such that Rex and Slasher would go without meals as a result of the man's nasty manner. Crysta's heart went out to this poor animal. She couldn't believe that humans would be so cruel to living creatures and it made her angry just thinking about it.<p>

"Don't worry, Rex, I'm sure we'll find someone who will be willing to have you as a pet." The Doberman growled unhappily. He didn't believe her.

* * *

><p>An hour or so later, farther along the road, the truck had stopped at a loading dock. A small shack lay alongside it. Goldstein and a strange man sat inside at a table, deep in conversation. Mac, Ivan and Slasher the Doberman waited outside, leaning against the trailer truck that held the mammals.<p>

Inside the trailer, Batty stared gloomily out through the cage bars, not appreciating the familiarity of this setting. "Great oil slicks!" He muttered as he kicked hard at the bars. Paddy, nearby, started to cry. "What's going to happen to us, Batty?"

Not wishing to cause any more alarm, the fruit bat tried to make their prediction sound more optimistic. "Oh, we'll probably go out to sea in a big boat where we'll see other cities and forests… Haven't you wanted to travel to strange and exotic places?"

"No," came the miserable reply. Batty sighed. "Me neither, but that's what we're going to do."

Below, Bandy started sobbing, and a few other babies joined in. The sad chorus was too much for Batty, who stuck his head out of the cage bars.

"Hey, everybody! Turn an ear or two this way and I'll lighten up the subject," humming in a sort of off-key voice, Batty started to sing.

_Hey, this could be worse; at least we have each other._

_Come on, everybody_

_You know you're not alone._

_If we stick together, we'll find our way home._

_Take a look around you; tell me what you see…_

_We're all part of a great big family._

_Can you feel it, deep inside you?_

_A wild pulsing, through the air,_

_Together, that great brand of emotion_

_Is all we need in here!_

_Listen to me, now,_

_We're gonna find our way back home!_

The bat's singing seemed to calm all the animals down and soon, they were all joining in with the tune. Batty was thrilled his plan had worked until the tarp was drawn up, revealing Mac and Ivan. Several animals squeaked in fright and dismay. Batty hung his head and his ears drooped. Mac stepped up to him, glaring inside the cage.

"You better behave yourself, bat, or else." The poacher growled. "We're taking you out for showing, and if this guy likes what he sees, you'll be going to him, savvy?"

Batty hissed at the poacher, who picked up the bat's cage and jumped neatly out of the trailer. Batty watched as they headed inside the small shack. He was set down upon a table and was peered at by a small, thin man with thick black hair, dark skin and eyes that resembled olives. He looked skeptically at the bat, and then up at Goldstein. "Not interested. But you may continue with the delivery, if you must. Let this one go; he's too damaged, as you can tell." He said in a thick French accent.

Goldstein's eyes lit up as the small man handed him a black briefcase. The plump man opened it and Batty saw hundreds of dollars neatly stacked inside. Goldstein closed the briefcase.

"At once, thank you, monsieur." He motioned to Mac to let Batty go. The poacher grumbled under his throat as he opened the cage and grabbed hold of Batty. The bat shrieked as he struggled with Mac's grasp. The poacher towed him outside, where he threw him into the air. Mac stood, glaring after the bat's clumsy flying figure until it was out if sight.

Batty flew up over the loading dock, back toward the road, hoping to find Budgie or Pips. He spied a car and streaked downwards, but at the last possible second, his antenna sparked and he found himself chattering as he headed straight for the car's windshield, "Mister Courtesy white phone, please. I wish to speak with the head of the lab if you don't-" Smack! Batty hit the windshield like a runaway train. The bat bounced off and landed on the side of the road, dazed. The car pulled over up ahead and screeched to a stop. Batty was aware of voices nearby. One sounded very young, and the other much older.

"Grandpa, look! It's Batty!"

"I see, Izza! A very batty bat indeed!"

"No, no!" Batty was picked up and cradled in a young girl's arms. "This is Batty Koda, Pips' friend."

Batty's head pounded, but his vision cleared up enough to see Budgie staring down at him in her arms. "Are you okay?"

"Sonic interference," Batty murmured softly. "Someone hold my head before it rolls off. Where did that car come from?"

He heard a gasp and turned to see Budgie's grandfather, staring openmouthed at the talking bat. The elderly man shook his head. "This has been a rather exciting day," he climbed back into the car. Budgie carefully picked her way back to the front seat, not letting go of Batty for a second, even when she buckled up.

Pips saw his fallen friend. "Batty, are you okay? Where are the babies?"

Batty weakly pointed with his claw. "Straight ahead, a loading dock or something. You can't miss it, humans." He slurred.

Mr. Turner nodded and muttered something to himself as he drove on. The sky was darkening as the sun left horizon. Within a few minutes, it was be night.


	5. Chapter 5

Goldstein watched with pleasure as the crates were loaded onto an old boat. Mac and Ivan carried the cages down to the hold while Goldstein reported what had happened to the birds along the way. The Frenchman seemed to think that rather annoying. "Well, now, isn't that rich: the poachers got poached, eh?"

Goldstein felt his face flush. "Well, at least we got the baby animals."

"But I would have gotten twice the profit if that little brat hadn't stolen the birds. Now, I'll only be getting half, thanks to you." The small man sniffed and strode away. Goldstein frowned. Mac and Ivan walked back down the gangplank. The baby animals were below deck and everything was ready to go. The Frenchman took his place behind the wheel of the boat and started it up. What happened next came all at once.

Goldstein suddenly shrieked as he was lifted into the air by… a tree? Mac and Ivan were also apprehended. The men watched in amazement as the tree roots spread out to the boat alongside the dock. The roots wrapped themselves around the metal structure, immobilizing it. The Frenchman tried in vain to make the boat go faster, but the tree roots did their job well. The steering wheel was snapped in half and the motor below sputtered and stopped. The magic flora snaked their way down to the hold and came back up bearing all the animal cages.

"Stop them!" Goldstein shrieked, struggling in the branches that held him down.

"What are we supposed to do?" Ivan and Mac were both having a hard time until Mac pulled out his hunter's knife and sawed away at the tree branches. Soon, he dropped to the ground and set to work cutting Ivan and Goldstein loose. The three made a break for the ship, trying to stop the branches from keeping the boat on its course. It almost looked like the humans were winning until the men became aware of a slight buzzing noise above their heads. They looked up to see a blue glitter streak hovering above them.

"_Give me the strength of fairy hopes, and turn them all into fairy ropes!_" Crysta's voice worked its magic on the enchanted roots, which continued the rescue again in earnest. Goldstein and his men were caught and this time the roots didn't let go.

Pips flew up, playing his pipes that encouraged the roots to grow in the first place. The Beetle Boys, Budgie and her grandpa set about freeing the baby animals from their cages that the tree roots had placed gently on the dock. Rex and Slasher were reunited and were now taking their part in the rescue. They went up on deck and managed to sabotage the last wiring and motor connections so that boat floated harmlessly in the shallows, unable to move anywhere anymore.

Batty stayed with the animals on the dock. Soon, the last of the animal cages were out and the four men onboard were caught. Mr. Turner contacted a local police station and two cars with flashing lights showed up a few minutes later. The officers noticed the tree roots encircling the boat and the poachers, but they didn't put much thought to the matter.

The fairies and the animals hid nearby and giggled when the poachers protested that 'little magic bugs did this to the boat' and 'really, we were doing nothing wrong, officers'. Crysta and Pips hovered side by side in the bushes, keeping an eye on the babies until the cars drove away, and then they ventured out. Mr. Turner and Budgie were standing out in the little field in front of the old shack, staring after the blue and red flashing lights.

Pips and Crysta flew up to the two humans. "Thank you," Crysta said gratefully. "We owe you humans a lot for what you did to help our animals."

Mr. Turner shrugged and smiled. "We were just happy to do our part for our little furry friends." Rex and Slasher came up, whimpering softly. Crysta shook her head. "Sorry, Rex, you and your friend can't come back with us to Ferngully. You belong in the human world."

Both dogs looked very forlorn. They wondered where they would find a better master when Mr. Turner seemed to smile. He bent down and patted both dogs on the head. "You know, I've known someone for quite some time who's always wanted a puppy…" he turned to Budgie, who looked surprised, but hopeful. "How about two big ones, instead?"

Budgie laughed and rushed to hug both the dogs. Rex and Slasher fell to licking the two humans happily. Crysta and Pips watched, smiling, until they remembered they had to get back to Ferngully. Batty flapped up.

"Rip snort, we'll have to make a mental note to visit you humans again. You guys are groovacious!" Budgie and her grandpa laughed, cheered by the bat's willingness to finally accept them.

Crysta and Pips were also happy to see the bat's apparent change of attitude. Budgie looked at Crysta and Pips. "You guys are welcome to come back anytime, preferably soon."

Pips smiled a little sadly. "I hope we can."

Budgie held up her hand. Pips and Crysta held up theirs. Mr. Turner put his hand on his granddaughter's shoulder. "I think we ought to head back, Izza; these fairies need to get home. Are you sure you don't need a lift?"

Pips shook his head. "No, we'll go back on foot. The truck has likely carved a neat path to retrace."

So two fairies, four Beetle Boys, one crazed bat and several baby animals traveled back to Ferngully on foot. It was hard going, but they managed to make it back to their beloved rainforest before dawn the next day. All the fairies sprang out to welcome the triumphant rescuers. The baby animals were soon reunited with their parents; Paddy met up with Mel in the infirmary. The pademelon mother was so happy to see her young son that she almost forgot that she couldn't quite stand up yet as the burn wounds hadn't completely healed. The young pademelon stayed with his mother the rest of the day. Wal and Bandy also met up with their parents; Wal's father had recovered sufficiently and now only had a few faint pink scars that marked where the fire had burned him. Slider stuck around to welcome the babies: he limped only slightly, but other than that, he was fine.

Crysta's parents were overjoyed to see her safe and sound again. They had gotten the message from the goanna, but it didn't do a thing to calm their fears when she hadn't returned from the river. Pips, Batty and the Beetle Boys were heartily congratulated for their efforts and the Elfin Elders even took back their harsh words of scolding when last they had met the rag-tag group. All of Ferngully celebrated well into the evening. That night, after everyone had gone back to their hollows to sleep, Batty Koda hung upside down outside Crysta's home, lulled by the familiar rainforest sounds of the night.

* * *

><p>The next morning, he was rudely jolted from his sleep at a rustling sound from below. He frowned as he peeked down through the dim, misty morning air. His large eyes picked out the shapes of Wal and Bandy. Paddy was still with his mother in Old Hi Rise.<p>

"Fractured figs," Batty said impatiently. "What are you doing awake? Shouldn't you be home, resting?"

Wal shrugged. "Well, we were hoping that class was still going on today. Can you see if Crysta's awake?"

Batty closed his eyes. He was still tired from the past few days; it had been a lot of flying for him, and his antenna had been working double-time out near those telephone poles, so his head ached slightly. "Fine, I'll check. Then can I go back to sleep?" He almost pleaded.

The babies nodded. Sighing, the fruit bat spread his sore wings and flapped down to Crysta's bedroom. He almost yelped with surprise when he saw that her hammock was empty. What was the little bug doing up at this hour?

He carefully flew over to the front stoop. "She's up, all right." The next moment, he turned when the door opened, as if on cue. Crysta stopped short upon beholding Batty on her front porch. She smiled, although Batty could still see that the fairy's eyelids weren't quite opened all the way.

"Morning, Batty. We're off to Sleepy Hollow if you want to come."

"Ha! Me?" Batty snorted softly. "Warped beetle skins! A nature walk at this hour, after all that's happened? No thanks, Crysta-bellis, count me out. At least I know the importance of sleep around here."

Crysta shrugged. "All right, then. Have a good sleep; you've earned it." She fluttered down to her charges.

"Absolutely," Batty muttered as he flew back up to his perch. He wrapped his wings about himself and tried hard to go back to sleep. It didn't come.

"Oh, short-circuit side effects," Batty Koda unfolded his wings and flapped off after the three figures disappearing through the mists. "Hey! Wait up! You never know when there'll be another poacher truck nearby without me around to warn you!"

**The End**


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